Rose Without Thorns
by Coolgirl123
Summary: Stubborn Elene of Ayortha was born out of a middle class family, and lived a life of happiness. One day, however, her mother died, and her father was forced to remarry. Her new stepmother was cold,and made her life an unpleasant one. Could happiness be
1. Introduction

Hey! It's my new story! Thought I'd do a Cinderella one with a girl from Ayortha! Enjoy!

It was the darkest and coldest night of the year. The beautiful land of Kyrria, once rich and abundant with flowers and trees now looked more like a desolate place. The trees had lost all their fruit and leaves and had begun to rot as the season changed into winter. The grass had dried up and was as brittle as the hay one would find in a barn.

Despite this, however, the land was widely populated with many people. Especially people of great wealth and rank. Frell, Kyrria's province, was well known among the nobles for its expansive markets which sold fine wares of intrinsic value. Many lower class people moved to Frell from foreign lands like Ayortha who had heard tales of the towns economic success so they could find work. Many visitors also came to sample the markets fine items for sale, attend the royal balls which were held, or for those who could afford it, purchase a mansion along the plains overlooking the town. Not in Frell but in another town called Jenn, there was also a finishing school which taught the wealthy citizen's daughters their duties of becoming a lady and teaching them their places in society.

The rulers of the land, King Charmont and Queen Ella, resided in Frell with their children, the handsome Prince Aidan and the lovely Princess Cornelia. The royal family members were very charming people, and comely. The family all shared curly dark hair, green and brown eyes with tan skin. They held many lavish parties all year round and they were even nice enough to let all the citizens of the land come, even the peasants, for they thought everyone had an equal status in life.

Many people disagreed with their views on the classes, and the most haughty people declined many invitations sent to them for balls once they received word that less wealthier people would be attending. Loyalty diminished greatly to the royal family among the high class people but many other people still greatly favored their generous king and queen.

Just west of Kyrria, lied the town of Ayortha on the border. It wasn't as populated as Kyrria was, and their goods weren't as popular to visitors. The people of Ayortha, Ayorthaians, were quiet people, especially nobles, choosing to speak little and instead spending time speculating over things rather than acting. Their voices were thought to be beautiful when singing, but perhaps the lack of communication from most led people to believe that they were even incapable of producing a tune.

There wasn't any balls held in Ayortha either, and no finishing school. They substituted balls with sings, which were grand occasions where any number of people could sing for the whole towns enjoyment. This drew people from all over, so they could sing in joyous merriment until dawn performing melodies to the sun.

While lacking in talkative and garrulous citizens it upheld the attention of visitors with its scenery. The whole place was almost surrounded by woods and wide open fields, making it perfect for farmers to plant crops and for animals of an great majority to live. Mountains were visible in the back round and flowers of different species were only available in different parts of the woods. Despite this richness in nature, however, many people still chose to live in Frell, many of them couples and families, choosing to own servants, and to settle down with their families. Some people did live in Ayortha though, who favored a more independent and free life away from the hustle and bustle of Kyrria. Wealthier people also lived in Ayortha too, the majority of them making up the town's vast, reserved state.

Among the well-to-do people of Ayortha there was, of course, a number of middle-class people. They weren't rich. They had no lavish homes, successful occupations, or titles of nobility as the wealthier people had. They weren't better off, for they had to work for their living to earn their keep. Most weren't even glanced upon by the wealthier citizens of Ayortha, for they were thought to be far beneath them. But while they did lack in money, heritage, and grandeur they made up for it all…in the love they gave to their families and friends. They were commoners, most of them considered peasants, and some treated with scorn. They didn't hate them, though, the middle class people merely showed them the kindness they expected to be treated with, and left it at that. In fact, in their minds, they weren't considered commoners or peasants. They liked to think of themselves as people who were in different situations than others and were perhaps better off than most. They knew they had to work for their living and that is fine with them, for it does their hearts joy knowing they had provided for their families.

One such group of people was Eamonne and Audelina Dainmond of Ayortha.

* * *

Both Eamonne and Audelina weren't wealthy when they married each other so their status as middle-class people stayed the same. They were not unlike any other less well to do family of Ayortha. They were not wealthy, they did not have lavish mansions, or a title of nobility. And they were not sought after by richer people to attend social gatherings held at their mansions. The most they ever showed up to were the sings, where they joined other Ayorthaians in singing several tunes until the sun would rise and they would return to their work before the paean would be sung. For they worked for their living, and were one of the lucky enough families to have an inn of their own as a source of income.

The inn was decent enough, with carved wooden walls, several rooms, a number of wooden tables and chairs surrounded by a fireplace, and an adjoining building where Eamonne and Audelina lived. Several customers they had remarked on the nice surroundings and the excellent food. Audelina, was the cook, and a quite excellent one at that, producing quail eggs, mutton, and the like. Eammone was the innkeeper, he made sure their customers got the rooms they desired and whatever they needed. They went on with business like this until they hired Airana, a kindly cook, to help Audelina in the kitchen.

And so it went on. Audelina and Airana were kept busy dawn till dusk with increasing orders of food and drink while Eammone had to deal with commands from customers on rooms and personal needs.

For a while business was good for the Dainmonds. People who stayed commented on how comforting the standards of their inn was, and passed on the news to other customers who needed places to stay. Their inn became popular, and money seemed no longer an issue with them. After a few years a new problem arose within them, however. Though it did not seem possible for they had everything a less fortunate family could want, or so they thought. They had a nice home, friends among the customers, a good source of income, and food for themselves. They did not know what else they needed. Then it came to them one day in the form of one of their customers. The image of youth that they themselves once were.

They needed a child.

Someone they could share their happiness and success. Such things and many people of their class did not have that they were lucky enough to possess. Someone to care for so that one day they could make their child a fine worker and bring in even more success to the family. Someone that could go out into the world and make them as proud as they were then.

Though the prospect of having a child overjoyed them, there was still some matters to discuss. Like who would care for their child so that they could continue working? How could they dissapoint their loyal customers? Could they endanger there business because of the simple thought of another addition to the family?

For months the delimma bothered them until Airana suggested to be the child's godmother. She vowed to teach her the ways of a lady if a girland instruct her in the duties of a innkeeper. And also to pledge neverending protection and care to the child.

It was decided. A year after their wish for a child, and watching with hidden envy, the many children who would come to stay at their inn, they had a child.

* * *

She was a pretty child, with auburn curls, and green eyes. Her parents named her Elene, meaning "the bright one or the moon", for she truly was a gift that shined more light upon their already happy lives. In the child's first month of life, her parents closed the inn for a bit to care for her and shower her with affections any child her age could want. She was visited by friends of the family, who brought gifts and joyously celebrated her birth.

The family lived many happy years together. And though they knew nothing of raising a child, the family was so overjoyed with their good fortune in having a child of their own that they raised her with loving care and made Airana her godmother.

Elene grew up to be a resourceful child, having been taught lessons by Airana in her spare time and learning to read and write at the age of nine. She helped her parents out in the inn, sometimes waiting on customers, or taking orders. She favored books of far away lands of princesses and princes and knights and ogres, something other than her quiet life. Her family owned a small library filled with books on several subject, and Elene sometimes could be found sitting among the shelves and emerseing herself among the tomes.

She was more independent, rather than what a docile, obedient child would be. She would speak without being told too, and when she did, wouldn't stop for a moment. She was garrulous as some Ayorthaians were, perhaps more than most.

She could be found outside mostly besides inside reading. When there were more customers on certain days especially, she would escape her work to the woods, where she would find solace and comfort in reading a book for hours she would bring with her.

Her mother would read her stories a lot too, mostly at night, when the lights were dim, and the wind blew fierce. And tonight, only when Elene had settled into her canopy bed under the layers of quilts did her mother open the heavy tome full of mysterious and wonderful tales. Tonight it was a passage from a poem rather than a tale. Elene sat up eagerly, whilst her mother opened the tome to the respected page, and began to read with a clear, melodious voice.

_The night was dreary, fog had enveloped the last of the silvery moon._

_Darkness…Leaving darkness…like something that resembled an endless void…_

_A harsh wind was blowing, pulling the last of the brittle leaves back from their branches_

_And coating the plants with never ending snow…their richness all at once destroyed…_

_Then suddenly the breeze became still, the sky was inky black and dotted with stars,_

_Shining jewels of translucence, like relief on the world left with the scars._

_The sky was clear and silent then, the stars so bright,_

_That one little fairy came into the night._

_Now this fairy they say had her family under care, _

_She emerged to collect petals for food, flying silently in the air._

_She searched, came to a flower,_

_And touched the surface, radiating the power._

"_Oh how wonderful," she thought with glee. And with determined hands, _

_She pulled hard and got them free._

_She flew from the tree, handling them with care,_

_When a maiden emerged, with bright yellow hair. _

_The flower fell from her hands and landed at the maiden's feet,_

_With a troubled spirit and hasty defeat._

_The maiden was lovely, a very pretty face,_

_With an ornate dress and an air of grace._

_Stepping forward, they met eye to eye, _

_The maiden on the ground, the fairy in the sky._

_On the maiden, a smile showed, _

_At night the wings of the fairy then glowed._

_Holding out her hand, the fairy descended,_

_And settled to land._

_The maiden looked up, then around-_

They heavy volume then closed with a loud, _snap! _All at once the lovely sounds which had told the story, diminished.

A young girl of ten, with sleek chestnut, brown hair and hazel eyes who had been listening intently with baited breath frowned and looked up.

"Mother!" she yelled. "Why did you do that? We were just getting to the good part!"

The heavy volume was lowered and set upon the nightstand. A young face of about twenty came into view. One closer look one could see her daughter had received her looks from her for she had slightly darker hair than her daughter's, tan skin, and amber colored eyes speckled with green.

The lady who had been reading, sighed, and shook her head.

"I know, dear, but we are not yet finished with this poem, and as you can tell…" She stopped, pointing outside, where the sky was beginning to lighten into a dark pink. "It's rather late." She finished.

The young girl, Elene was her name, sighed and threw herself back into bed.

"I don't care, mother! You know I stay up late all the time!" She whined.

Her mother, Audelina, shook her head. "Yes, yes, I know, dear. But you are yet ten. A girl your age needs sleep in order to grow up to be healthy. And I want everyone in my family to be healthy. Don't you want to stay in the excellent health you are?"

Elene frowned. "No." She said stubbornly.

"Well, it's high time you started." Audelina then got up, and tucked the bedclothes around her daughter.

"Good night, my dear." She kissed her daughter upon her head , and left, leaving Elene to smile and quickly grasp the heavy book pulling it under the covers with her.

She opened it, and searched, eventually getting to the page her mother had been on.

_And settled to land._

_The maiden looked up, then around,_

_She noticed the flower lay forgotten on the ground._

_Picking it up, the fairy then received it once more,_

_While the face of her husband appeared at the door._

_The maiden smiled and set the fairy down,_

_She then grew sparkling wings and a golden crown._

_Spreading her wings, a smile so nice,_

_She then became small, the size of the mice._

_The husband went to his fairy wife, and she to him,_

_For there they stood, in the dark and dim._

_Anyone who witnessed the maiden take flight,_

_Noticed her jewels beheld, the diamonds of the night._

When she finished reading, she began to search for another poem, but suddenly yawned. She looked out the window and noticed the sky lost all of its purple and was turning into a light pink.

"Hmm, maybe I shall put it away for now." She thought, and placed it on the nightstand, trying to put it exactly how her mother had put it.

Then she heard a foot step sound from outside her door. Squealing slightly, she shrew herself under her covers, just as her mother walked in.

Finished! Tell me how you like the first chapter!


	2. A thoughtful morning

-1It was dark still when I awoke. Mumbling slightly, I looked at the clock that hung upon the wall. It struck a quarter after four. Perfect. Shaking the sleep from my eyes, I rose from my bed and stretched my arms.

Ayorthaians usually did not rise at this hour. Many preferred the privilege of sleeping later than some, tucked safely away in their warm beds past dawn.

I was not one of those people, though. My family owned a inn in Ayortha, and my father was the innkeeper while my mother was the cook. Father was always ready to give the customers their rooms or meal for their liking. It was of course cooked by my mother. Her food was so delicious that one would find themselves eating her meals even if they weren't the least bit hungry.

I helped Mother in the kitchen with cooking because sometimes we could have many customers and she needed extra hands. Besides the cooking, I helped with the cleaning and also went to the market to get more food for the inn when our stock was low. But besides that, when Father needed my help at the counter, he would sometimes put me in charge of assigning customers their rooms or to take orders for meals.

My family and I were very busy with the inn, we never attended any town festivals except sings., which were entertaining events in which many citizens occupied a stage that would be present in the center of town. Songs were sung of different emotions, eventually leading to the closing song which paid homage to the rising sun. It was a joyous occasion as a way to put us in good spirits and sing joyfully with our fellow Ayorthaians.

With so much work to do, I barely had time on my own, let alone time to sleep past dawn, so I was always very tired. Though I knew I had to be working to help support my family I sometimes wished for a day when I had no work to do, nothing to be planned for me, when I made up my own goals to do.

In fact, some days, (though I wasn't supposed to) I would sneak away from the inn, after telling Airana to make up an excuse for my parents when I had left. I would go to the forest at the outskirts of Ayortha and spend the hours exploring the hidden trails. I would then return home with flowers or some other kind of herb for the inn, so that way mother and father would think I was on an errand for them.

I moved to the pitcher on my nightstand and washed my face. After drying myself with a towel I went to my small wardrobe and opened it.

Inside were several gowns, most of them work gowns, and only a few decent ones that were saved for special occasions. I looked longingly at some of my nicer gowns, fingering the lace on the sleeve of one. Then I looked sadly at the state of my work gowns.

They were clean enough, for they were washed often, but at a closer look I saw that some hadn't been mended properly for quite some time. The hem of one was loose, and trailed on the floor. The material of another had frayed and was made of a coarse cotton, which wasn't comfortable to begin with. All of my work gowns had lost their original color and were drab and dark.

I sighed, and chose a gown. It was one I wore often to work in. The material was faded like the rest, but it wasn't as tattered as the others. I then looked wistfully at my finer gowns. I had no choose, I couldn't work in a elegant gown..

Sometimes I wished I was able to wear nice gowns rather than my worn out ones. I also wished I could be a noble sometimes rather than an innkeepers daughter, who had to work day after day with no end.

I shook my head. How selfish I sounded! I acted as if I cared nothing for my family or our way of life. It was true we weren't rich but we were better off than most. My family was healthy, and we had good food and a decent amount of money. I have no reason to complain.

I walked to my mirror and peered at my reflection. The face of a fifteen year old girl looked back at me.

I was dark-skinned as all Ayorthaians were, but I had lighter skin than most. My face was oval-shaped, with a small nose, full red lips, and hazel eyes. My hair was of a reddish-brown color, which fell in straight waves past my shoulders. My body was very slim, which I supposed came from years of hard work and little rest.

I gathered my hair into a ponytail and tied it back with an old handkerchief. Then I smoothed the skirt of mydress and frowned at my reflection.I was pretty, yes, but I wasn't a beauty as other girlsof the town were. With there rosy cheeks, pale skin, and lovely gowns.

My parents thought otherwise, saying that when they looked into my eyes they thought they were seeing evergreen trees in a hidden forest and my hair looked like a sun majestically setting beneath that forest. I had ignored their comment, for they were my parents. I knew they were only being nice.

Sorry, thought I'd continue there but you'll see the rest in the next chapter!


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